Feed-roll mechanism



W. H. TROUT.

FEED ROLL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED N ov. 4. 1916.

Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH cc, WASHINGTDN. D. C.

W. H. TROUT.

FEED ROLL MECHANISNI.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4. 191s.

14,309,824. Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNED STATES PATEN UFIC.

WILLIAM I-IEN'RY TROUT, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CI-IALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FEED-ROLL MECI-IANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application led March 5, 1910, Serial No. 547,388. Divided and this application led November 4, 1916. Serial No. 129,903.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY TROUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of M ilwa.u kee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed-Roll Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of machines used for trimming the edges of sawed lumber, commonly known in lumber-mills as the edger,`

and has specific relation to improvements in feed roll mechanisms.

An object of the invention is to provide a feed roll mechanism which is simple in construction and efficient in operation. Another object is to provide improved means for adjusting the feed rolls to accommodate various thicknesses of lumber which is to be sawed.

The present application is a division of the application which matured to Patent No. 1,203,940.

A clear conception of an embodimentof the invention may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or simi lar parts in the various views.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of an edger having the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an edger having the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the feed roll driving mechanism, showing the speedchanging device and the shifting-mechanism therefor.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical section through the upper art ofthe feed roll adjusting mechanism.

While the invention is disclosed as applied to a single edger, provided with six saws by way of illustration, it will be understood that the same principles may be applied to double edgers or any other form of saws, without departing from my invention.

The main frame of the edger comprisesA three transverse frame castings 1, a pair of longitudinally extending channels 2 secured to the frame castings 1, a pair of longitudinal bars 3 preferably formed of doubleeXtra-heavy gas pipes and firmly secured to the castings 1, and a longitudinal shaft 4 also preferably made of doubleeextra-heavy gas pipe and rigidly secured in long cylindrical sockets formed between the frame castings 1 and suitable caps bolted thereto. The longitudinal shaft 4 serves as a pivot for the'press roll swing arms 20, as will be hereinafter described. While the invention is not restricted to this or any other form of frame, the elements just described provide a simple and rigid frame structure.

.The saw shaft 5 is mounted in suitable bearings in the frame castings l and has secured thereto a driving pulley 21 of usual form, and a feed roll driving pulley 7 which will be hereinafter described. Upon the shaft 5, set in collars 22, are slidably mounted saws 23, these saws being shiftable by means ofsaw guides 8 mounted upon the saw-guide carriers y24 which slide upon a longitudinal guide rod 25 the ends of which a-re mounted in the frame castings 1. The guide carriers 24 are themselves shifted by means of gage mechanisms 26 which slide upon a longitudinal rod 27, this rod also being mounted in the frame castings 1.

Consi-dering now the feed mechanism, a novel arrangement of stepped pulleys for furnishing two rates of speed, is provided. The feed mechanism is as follows: The feed rolls 28 are mounted to rotate in the bearings in the frame castings 1, and are driven from supplementary shafts 12 which are connected with the feed rolls 28 by means of pinions meshing with gears 29 carried by the ends of the feed roll shafts.

On the end of each shaft 12 is mounted a main feed roll driving pulley 30, each of which has two belt faces 31,32 separated by a conical face 33, see Fig. 2. Coperating.

with these pulleys 30y is a smaller pulley 7 previously mentioned, which likew1se. has two faces, 34, 35 separated by an intermediate conical face 36. Over all three of these pulleys runs a driving belt 37 which also runs around a tightener ulley 10 carried tin the bifurcation of a for ed bar 40 pivoted upon' a pin 41 andv weighted atvits `end opposite to the pulley 10 by means of a sliding weight 42. 1t will be noted that the position of the pivot 41 `relative to the pulley 10 is vsuch as to produce a considerabley tension on the belt 37, this tension being practically independent of the position of the belt 37 on one or the other ofthe two sets of driving faces of the three pulleys, andvthat in shifting the belt 37 from one set of driving faces to.

the other, the tightener pulley 10 will'move up or down to accommodate the position of the belt 37. In order to permit shifting of the belt 37, a shifting fork 11 sliding in socket 43 on one of the frame castings '1, 1s

provided, this fork 11 having a pair of downwardly depending prongs 44, one ony each side of the belt 37 So that as the fork 11 is moved from one side to the other, the belt 37A will be caused to run o'n one or the other set of driving faces of the pulleys 30, 7, the tightener pulley 10 varying its position accordingly; To shift the fork 11 Va series of rack teeth are out on the underside of thel shaft 41 and a rock shaft 46 is pivoted transversely to the fork in the socket 43, this rock shaft carrying a pinion which meshes with the rack teeth on the shaft 41. The rock shaft 46 is also provided at it-s free end with a rock arm 47, 'carrying a weight 48 which acts as a tumble-'bob to maintain the belt 37 in the position to which it is shifted, the weight 48 lying on one side of ed in upright position upon the middle ofv the cross bars 3 by means of supporting lugs 51, the shaft 4 which acts as a pivot for the swing armsof the press rolls 13', also being secured to the trunk 50 by means of a downwardly depending yoke 52. The press rolls 13 are mounted on shafts 53 supported in bearings in the swing arms 20 which as heretofore mentioned swing about the shaft 4 as an aXis. Upon the trunk 50 is slidably mounted an upright 'cylinder 14 which is made steam tight on the vperiphery of the trunk 50 by means 'off'suitable packing rings. The cylinder 14C-has lateral ears 54 Y for connecting it by'means of forked links '55 with the swing arms 20, these links 55 being pivotally connected to the swing arms 2O and having slots 56 at their upper ends through which pass bolts 57 mounted on the ears 54. The lost motionr connections afforded by the slots `56V in the' links 55, 'permit limited independent rising Vof the press rolls 13, due to variations in thickness of lumber passing beneath the rolls. Through the centerrof the trunk 50 passes a steam pipe 60 which opens into the cylinder chamber 61 past a valve-controlledv orifice 62, this pipe 60 connecting at some convenient point with two branch pipes 63, 64 between which branch pipe 64 is an exhaust pipewhichV may open into the air or lead to a condenser; so that when the handle of the valve 65 is turned to connect the pipe 60 with the branch 63 steam will enter the cylinder chamber 61 and raise t-he cylinder' 14 together with the press rolls 13, thereby permitting the insertion of any size offjoist or beaml 66 as shown in Fig. 5;'and when the lumber has been inserted the handle of the valve 65 may be turned in the opposite direction so as to connect the pipe 60 with the exhaust branch 64,`thereby releasingv the steam from the cylinder and allowing the press rolls 1.3 to move downwardly by gravity and to rest upon the beam 66. 1n order, however, to prevent a sudden drop of the press rolls 13 which would bring undue shock upon the machine, I provide cushioning means i-n the form of a disk valve 67 which is mounted on the free end of a screwstud 68 threaded into the head of the ycylinder 1 4 co-axial with the orifice 62. valve 67 is supported by a head 69 on the stud 68 and is'free to move vertically on this stud. lVhen the cylinder 14 reaches a certain point in its descent, predetermined byV the position to which the stud 68 is adj usted by the application of a wrench to its upper end, the valve disk 67 will rest upon its seat adjacent vthe orice 62, closing this o'riice and thereby rconfining the remaining steam within the cylinder and vcushioning the descending cylinder since the steam can then only escape or condense very slowly to permit further downward travel of the cylinder 14. Moreover, a safety device is provided which prevents admission of steam to raise the cylinder 14 beyond a predetermined high point, this'safety' device being in the form of a relief aperture 70 at the side 'of the cylinder 14, connected -with an exhaust pipe 71 by means of a sliding 'or telescopic joint 72c0nsisting `of one pipe sliding with` in the other and connected by a packing so as not to interfere with the continuity of the duct. As soon as the cylinder 14 has risen to the point at whicht'he relief-aper- The v ture is above the upper end of the trunk 50, the steam will escape through the pipe 71 as fast as it flows into the chamber 61,

thus limiting the upward movement of the cylinder 14. l

While I have hereinabove shown the most improved form of the invention, it should be understood that not all of the features are essential thereto or necessarily made in the exact form shown, but various changes and modifications in the construction as herein shown maybe made without departing from the spirit of this invention and it is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is notJ otherwise limited than by the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a pressing device for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever having at one end a fulcrum and associated at its opposite end with said pressing device, and lever manipulating means comprising a power actuated device having a movable portion extending over said lever and means connecting said portion with a medial portion of said lever.

2. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever having at one end a fulcrum and connected at its opposite end to said press roll, and fluid pressurev actuated lever manipulating means having a movable portion extending over said lever and means connecting said portion with a medial portion of said lever.

3. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a plurality of press rolls for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever connected to each of said press rolls, a common pivot about which all of said levers are swingable, and means for swinging said levers about said pivot, said means comprising a power actuated device having a movable portion extending over each of said levers and means connecting each of said portions with the sub-posed lever.

4:. In combination, means for `feeding bodies, a plurality of press rolls for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever connected to each of said press rolls, a common pivot about which all of said levers are swingable, and fluid pressure actuated means for swinging said levers about said pivot, said means comprising a movable portion extending over each of said levers and means connecting each of said portions with the sub-posed lever.

5. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a pressing device for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever having at one end a fulcrum and associated at its Opposite end with said pressing device, a stationary piston, a cylinder reciprocable upon said piston, and a connection between said cylinder and a medial portion of said lever.

6. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever having at one end a pivot and associated at its opposite end with said press roll, a stationary piston, a cylinder reciprocable upon said piston, means for applying fluid pressure to said cylinder through said piston, and a connection between said cylinder and said lever.

7, In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever to one end of which said press roll is connected, aV fluid pressure actuated cylinder located above said lever and having an axis, a connection between said cylinder and said lever, and a pivot for said lever lying in the plane of the axis of said cylinder.

8. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever with one end of which said press roll is associated, a stationary piston, a cylinder slidable upon said piston, a connection between said cylinder and said lever, means for admitting fluid under pressure to said cylinder, and a safety exhaust in the side of said cylinder for relieving the fluid pressure when said press roll reaches a predetermined position.

9. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a pivoted lever with one end of which said press roll is associated, a stationary piston, a cylinder slidable upon said piston, a connection between said cylinder and said lever, means for admitting fluid under pressure to said cylinder, a safety exhaust in said cylinder for relieving the fluid pressure when said press roll reaches a predetermined position in one direction, and means for confining fluid under pressure in said cylinder to cushion said press roll when moving in the opposite direction.

10. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a lever having at one end a pivot and associated at its opnosite end with said press roll, a stationary piston, a cylinder slidable upon said piston, a slotted connection between said piston cylinder and a medial portion of said lever, means for admitting fluid under pressure to said cylinder through said piston, a safety exhaust for relieving the fluid pressure when said press roll reaches a predetermined position, and means for cushioning said press roll when moving toward said feeding means.

11. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a pressing device for urging the bodies against said feeding means, means for moving said pressing device transversely of said feeding means, and a lost motion connection for permitting movement of said pressing device independently of said moving means.

l2. In combination, means for feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, fluid pressure actuated means for moving said press roll transversely of said feeding means, and a lost motion connection for permitting movement of said press roll independently of said moving means.

13. In combination, means for f feeding bodies, a press roll for urging the bodies against said feeding means, a swinging lever to which said press roll is connected, means for moving said lever and said press roll transversely of said feeding means, and a actuated means comprising a movable ele-` ment, and a connection betweensaidfluid pressure actuated means and a medial portion of said lever, said connectionpermitf ting relative movement between Said lever and said movable element of said actuating means. Y

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is affixed hereto.

WILLIAM HENRY TROUT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for vecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

